Talk:Freestyle music

older talk entries
I think that there are two types of freestyling that need to be addressed here. First is freestyle as a genre of music, which the entry addresses. The second that should be covered is Freestyling as an improvisational form of hip hop. This is the type that this baked lass refers to in her "freestyle" (I doubt she remembers writing it). I found the freestyle entry by following a link from the the wikipedia entry about the rapper Jin. Just to clear up confusion I think that both definitions of freestyle should be covered. Thank you.

www.NewYorkFreestyle.com

You're talking two different genres of music. True they are both descended ultimately from 1970s disco music, but they are still different nonetheless. I would suggest you create a new wiki entry on that.

~ bxmuchacho —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bxmuchacho (talk • contribs) 17:11, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

What about Stevie B in Hitlist?
To me Stevie B always seemed to be one of the Top10 Artists of Latin Freestyle next to Artists like Johnny O. Am I false?

--213.23.134.62 20:21, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

i think the hitlist needs an overhaul and needs to consult some charts, and reference them so that we can be a bit more objective about it. --Yoasif 22:55, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

Charts (Billboard charts etc.) themselves don't necessarily show the impact, especially in underground genres like freestyle, which from my prospective was somewhat of a word of mouth genre. Not to demean big stars from smaller ones, but Jimi Hendrix had a huge impact on music but technically he was a one-hit wonder. --Maya Levy 19 January 2006

Edited the hitlist. Infohunter 00:48, 28 January 2006 (UTC)
 * No you removed half the list arbitrarily. Until the time someone actually backs up artist addition/removal based on chart placement, I will revert to this consensus version of the list.  ALKIVAR &trade;[[Image:Radioactive.svg|18px|]] 01:05, 28 January 2006 (UTC)

I agree about the hit list. It's very random. Also "Together Forever" by Lisette Melendez is credited by many for reviving freestyle music in the 90s and was a big hit. Much more representive of freestyle music in this article than "Time Passes By". So I'm removing "Time Passes By" because of duplicate entry. --Bigplankton 21:28, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

"Together Forever" spent 10 weeks at the top of New York Dance charts. --Bigplankton 21:43, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

I added Corina's "Temptation" to the list because it peaked at #12 on Billboard Hot 100 and was a number #1 dance hit. --Bigplankton 21:50, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

I added Pittsburgh as a city because the gay bars here played freestlye HEAVILY in the late 80s/90s when no where but NY and Chicago or LA would.

Freestyle Artists
"Furthermore, many DJs who played the music, such as Jellybean, Tony Torres, Raul Soto and Roman Ricardo were Hispanic. However, those on stage performing the songs were not, neither were most of the producers making the music."

I think the second sentence in that quote is erroneous. If you look at the list of the most popular and well-known freestyle artists, almost all of them were of Latino/Hispanic heritage. Some others who were Italian (e.g. Anthony Monteleone of Collage and Gioia Bruno of Expose), Nocera, Laissez Faire, Shana, Tolga, Linear, Company B, Collage, Teena Marie, Joey Desimone, Dino and Pajama Party. There's a reason why Freestyle music's audiences were primarily Hispanic and Italians. Those audiences identified with the artists because the artists grew up in the same ethnic communities as their audiences and came from latin/Italian backgrounds. (The term Guido was born during this era). Artists like Information Society and Samantha Fox, Stacy Q, Rockell, Shannon and Taylor Dayne were some of the few non-Hispanic, white, non-Italian artists to gain popularity in the freestyle genre.

On a more interesting note, Freestyle music also gained some popularity among Asians and Asian Americans as well (in part because of artists like Filipina American Jocelyn Enriquez). Lots of Asian pop music (particularly J-Pop or K-Pop artists like Jinusean, Utada Hikaru, etc.) definitely were influenced by freestyle music. I went to high school in central Jersey, and had several friends in Edison. Nightclubs and social gatherings in the Edison area often play freestyle music or trance. Teknosoul02 00:40, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Jimi Hendrix a one hit wonder
I seriously doubt that - See Joel Whitburn's book on Top 40 songs. Freestyle's peak years were between 1984-1992.. Collage's I'll be loving you is the last Hot 100 chart record reaching the mid 50s or 60s in 1994 or 1995. Fans pining for freestyle's comeback are no different from people wishing for the return of glam metal, progressive rock, grunge, swing, etc. Music marches on and leaves past trends behind. Of course there are some that will integrate pieces of music of years gone by into their current repertoire. Pop music (which is currently dominated by rap) remains pretty much current. People are downloading what's out there and it's usually pop-punk (Fall Out Boy, etc), American Idol stuff, some country and mostly hip hop and hip hop r&b.

P. Diddy's rise in New York, the arrival of the Dirty South beats and then Crunk in the Southern U.S. and Gangsta Rap on the West Coast spelled the death knell for freestyle in the U.S. Sampling also made it easier to construct songs. This article is excellent and in fact very accurate.

76.199.67.153 17:57, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

Don't be too sure. It is quite possible in the Hispanic community of New York and Miami where salsa music has enjoyed periods of rabid popularity only to nearly be vanquished (by merengue first, then reggaeton) and then it comes roaring back to life again. Hispanics do not look at music in a straight line or subscribe to the English market's dictation of trends. Case in point: bachata. It is HUGE now. Bachata was also huge when my great-grandmother was a young lady. My great-grandmother lived to be 113. I never met her. But I hear the style of music she would instantly recognize blaring in my neighborhood everyday.

~ bxmuchacho —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bxmuchacho (talk • contribs) 17:19, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Classics
I really think somebody who knows alot about freestyle history should make a Classics ( rival of freestyle)article...i would if i had all the 411 on that one. user:homan05

comeback
was there not a little a mini comeback of freestyle music in the late 90's particular in 97, 98 with hits like rockell and collage cant we try(98) and Jocelyn Enriquez Do You Miss Me(97)--Wikiscribe (talk) 18:49, 20 April 2008 (UTC)

Kraftwerk removed!
If you want to put that in again, please have good evidence for it. For me it is nonsense: the "Numbers" piece was krafted (sic!) in 1981, when FS was not even too widely known in NYC. *If* you want to name a track, maybe go for "Musique non stop"/"Techno pop" or such stuff. But not "Numbers". -andy 92.230.14.202 (talk) 19:15, 29 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Numbers is not a freestyle song. But there is a strong case that a lot of the early freestyle and electro pieces were influenced by Kraftwerk; think of Planet Rock and Trans-Europe Express.  But the sentence also says the European artists incorporated freestyle into their own productions, which I really don't see happening with Kraftwerk.  New Order is also listed in that section, and while I'm pretty sure Kraftwerk is influential, I'm less sure about the New Order songs.  While a lot of the male freestyle vocals from the late 80s have a definite British-synthpop sound to them, i'm not convinced that Confusion by New Order was the model.  We could mention though that some bands from that era that were considered both freestyle and synthpop, such as Information Society and Will To Power. Squidfryerchef (talk) 04:29, 30 October 2008 (UTC)


 * Freestyle is nothing but taking electronic music and sticking latin percussion in it. Electronic music existed before "freestyle". Planet Rock is cited in this article as "Freestyle's first child", and Planet Rock is "melody from Kraftwerk's song Trans Europe Express and the beat from Kraftwerk's song Numbers." So clearly without Kraftwerk there would be no Freestyle. I'm old enough to remember hearing Freestyle for the first time and thinking it was just ripped off electronic music. Maybe it seemed new to the latin dance crowd? DavidRavenMoon (talk) 12:58, 7 April 2011 (UTC)

actually, the idea of labeling kraftwerk as a freestyle act (or labeling certain of their songs as "freestyle compositions") isn't so weird. without kraftwerk, there would not have been freestyle. freestyle "came out of kraftwerk's naval." (the same can be said for industrial music, electro, techno, house, bass music, trance, etc., etc., etc., etc.) freestyle was influenced not only by kraftwerk but also by new order, depeche mode, and the "synth pop" genre as a whole. at the time, there was a bit of confusion as to what constituted "freestyle" and what would be more correctly labeled "synth pop." one of the reasons noel pagan became a star was because he seemed to fit into both genres at once. he had a "latin street gangster" image, yet his arrangements sounded like synth pop and his voice even sounded like that of a british synth pop singer. and the influence did extend the other way around as well. some new order tracks WERE influenced by freestyle, or at least remixed in freestyle versions. it is even possible that the members of kraftwerk were aware of latin freestyle and incorporated some of its influence in their later material.75.68.9.233 (talk) 01:52, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

"Artist SHANNON - Song: LET THE MUSIC PLAY"!
Freestyle or Latin Freestyle, also called Latin Hip Hop or Heartthrob Music in its early years, is a form of electronic dance music that is heavily influenced by Black & Latin American culture. Its been known in [Miami, FL] and [New York] as Electro Hip Hop as early as 1983 with the first Electro FREESTYLE MUSIC by "Artist SHANNON - Song: LET THE MUSIC PLAY" & "GIVE ME TONIGHT", this Song made a crossover and a breakthru with the METALIX DRUM MACHINE Sounds from the Roland CR-8000 drum machine, Roland JX-3P, and Roland TB-303.

The record redefined the electro funk sound that Arthur Baker and John Rocca (who produced "I.O.U" by Freeez and "One More Shot/Get Wet" by C-Bank) developed in 1982.

This style of Electro Funk was redefined as Freestyle because of the way it was produced and mixed. Barbosa is widely credited as the genre's founder. Baker and Robie eventually copied his sound three months later on Jenny Burton's "Remember What You Like" (released three months after "Let the Music Play") Tina B's "Honey to a Bee" (1984) and the Goon Squad's "Eight Arms to Hold You" (1985).

Shannon (born Shannon Brenda Greene on 2 May 1958, in Washington, D.C.), is an American singer. She is best known for her 1983 dance-freestyle record "Let the Music Play." Under the direction of Chris Barbosa. Her album, released in February 1984 was also the first Freestyle album in Dance music history, and went gold (selling over 1 million copies at the time). Both the 12" & 7" singles where also certified Gold.

Chris Barbosa is a producer from New York who redefined electro funk as Latin freestyle in the early 1980s with Shannon's "Let the Music Play." Emergency Records wasn't signing any more artists in 1986, forcing Barbosa and Liggett to launch their own label, which was named Ligosa Records.

(DJFLEX-mk2) 12:30, 14 November 2008 (UTC)

at this point, shannon may have more "latino" fans than aftrican american ones. in some freestyle circles, she seems to be accepted as a kind of "honorary latina," or at least as "freestyle's token african-american diva."(the exception that proves the rule. sharyn macerin might be considered "freestyle's token asian diva.")   shannon's position with respect to freestyle might be likened to steve cropper's status as a pioneer of soul music. she is one of the few african-american artists who has figured in the development of what is predominantly a "latin" musical genre.75.68.9.233 (talk) 02:04, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

Correction to Freestyle
I had to correct a user who had falsely added that freestyle was replaced by pop music by artists like, paula abdul and (get this) will smith, which isn't true. Pop music had NOTHING to do with freestyle nor with its downfall. There is no source in the universe supporting the falsehood that pop music replaced freestyle. The truth is, freestyle was supplanted by house music, pure and simple. Through my efforts, the info now has been corrected and reflects historical significance. Thanks. 68.173.91.50 (talk) 01:54, 23 January 2009 (UTC)

"Artist SHANNON - Correction
Just to correct you, you imply that Shannon was the first freestyle artist and that her song, 'Let the Music Play', the first freeestyle song made in 1984. Nothing can be further from the truth. Technically speaking, many contend that the first freestyle song that was made was 'Planet Rock' by Soul Sonic Force in 1982. 68.173.91.50 (talk) 19:21, 23 January 2009 (UTC) something could be said for BOTH views. and for the view that freestyle preceeded both of your examples. which is quite ironic, since freestyle is considered to be a "latin" genre, yet three of the first acts to record "freestyle songs" were (a) a german synth pop group (kraftwerk, who recorded the track on which "planet rock" was based), (b) an african american hip hop act (soul sonic force), and (b) an african american vocalist (shannon). proving that the history of popular music cannot be conceptualized along strict racial or ethnic lines. (it may be politically incorrect to point this out, but some of the forgotten pioneers of hip hop [such as man parrish] were actually WHITE. and man parrish himself may have influenced early freestyle.)  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.68.9.233 (talk) 02:15, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

Toronto Freestyle
There is no mention of Toronto's contribution to the resurgence on Freestyle music from 1990-1996; a time when many of the NY and miami artists sole performance gigs where Toronto based, embraced by toronto's Latin, Greek, Italian and Persian communities. Toronto's radio stations energy 108 (now defunt) and z103 (still active) play freestyle for a good amount of their programing. There are also a few notable Toronto freestyle artist (that later moved to a more euro sound) that should also be mentioned. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.225.142.137 (talk) 22:55, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Documentary about Freestyle?
This might be old news to some, but there's a movie about the rise of freestyle in the works from Alumbra films. In too much of a hurry to get more sources and weave this into the article, but don't want to lose this title and this is something to watch. Squidfryerchef (talk) 15:25, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Needs work
The article needs some cleaning up, organizing, and citing. I've done some work but will do more when I get a chance.--Jrkso (talk) 23:54, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Of Talkbox, Chicano Rap and Freestyle
1. Isn't talkbox part of the freestyle movement? 2. Doesn't Chicano Rap use Latin Freestyle in their music? For proof, look up "Jam" and "Do It" by Lil' Rob.

"Jam" "Do It"

ElMeroEse (talk) 23:19, 4 July 2010 (UTC) if anything, (latin) freestyle is characterized by SUNG (not rapped) vocals. a freestyle song may have a "rapped" interlude, but i doubt that many songs with purely RAPPED vocals could be thought of as "authentic" freestyle. hip hop has influenced freestyle and frestyle has also influenced hip hop (a rap composition could include a sung freestyle interlude in the same way that a freestyle track might include a short rap as part of its lyric), but this influence is marginal and shouldn't be overemphasized. freestyle and hip hop emerged from the same roots (electro and synth pop), yet the two quickly went their separate ways, more or less along racial or ethnic lines. "freestyle rap" is a separate genre which has very little to do with (latin) freestyle. the "freestyle" in "freestyle rap" actually refers to the way the lyrics are delivered. (i wouldn't even call "freestyle rap" a musical genre. it's more TEXTUAL than MUSICAL, more akin to street poetry than popular music.)75.68.9.233 (talk) 02:50, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

Defense of my edits
Apparently I've irritated the anonymous contributor with NYC-based IP address 108.14.212.26, so I will defend my edits, which largely (but not entirely) stand in opposition to his own edits. My edits today look major but are actually pretty benign.

The intro was several paragraphs long and needed to be split into a simple lead, a History section, and an Examples section, so I added History and Examples headings as needed. There was a bunch of text about the New York scene that was not in the New York section and didn't really belong in the intro, so I moved it there. This didn't involve removing anything, and shouldn't be a problem.

In the intro, I reworked some text to say "It was most popular around 1987, then its popularity declined as it was displaced by house music." Here's the former version of that text, interspersed with my comments:
 * It was at its peak in popularity in 1987, but declined in popularity by 1988—Actually it seems to have been quite popular in 1986 and 1988 as well; 1989 was the year it really started sinking. So I feel "around 1987" is better, until we get some reliable sources, as required by the WP:V policy, to back up these claims.
 * ...as it was displaced by disco-influenced House music, its polar opposite.—Calling house freestyle's "opposite", and adding the word "polar" for emphasis, is just hyperbolic editorializing. House and freestyle do have different influences & roots, but they're not opposites. I do, however, believe it's worth mentioning that house's disco basis sets it apart from freestyle's electro-funk basis. This is just not the place to do it. More on that below.
 * ...Many critics—This is a violation of the WP:AWW policy. Don't talk about "some" or "many" people unless you can cite the sources that confirm it.
 * ...allude to House music being the reincarnation of the 70s disco that overthrew Freestyle's modern electro sound of the 80s.—See above. Also do you have some examples of these "many critics" who say these things?
 * ...Overall, this represented an unfortunate regression in the music genre.—pure editorializing. This kind of comment has no place in an encyclopedia. How is "unfortunate" ever neutral?
 * ...House music was the pivotal force—hyperbole.
 * ...that signaled an end to the 80s music and style in general, including Freestyle.—It was already said that house overtook freestyle. Why say it again? Emphasis through repetition? Why "signaled"? I would think you'd want to say house "brought about" the end of freestyle['s popularity]. And "an end to the 80s music and style in general" is hyperbolic. House did not end all music styles of the 1980s. No need for this sentence at all.

The historical info contained the same kinds of problems, so I addressed those issues in the same way, tightening up the text, toning down the emphasis on 1987, getting rid of weasel words like "some may argue", and starting to reduce redundancy (how many ways do we need to say that house killed freestyle? Fewer than we do now!)...and I injected words like "syncopated" to talk about freestyle and "disco rhythms" to contrast it with house. I did this to address the question of how freestyle's nemesis, house music, represented a different sound, not just different influences. The fact that freestyle is based on syncopated percussion is mentioned later in the article and shouldn't be contentious.

If you have specific concerns about these edits, you need to assume good faith and engage in civil discussion here about what you're trying to communicate in the article and why its current text isn't doing a good enough job. Edit wars and unexplained rollbacks are not the way to go about it. —mjb (talk) 05:49, 27 December 2010 (UTC)


 * I can't believe this anonymous New York-based visitor is still at it, two years later, blindly trying to restore the article to his badly written version, with all its errors and opinions, bad inter-wiki links, external link spam, and reversions of numerous good edits made in the meantime. I appreciate User:Che829's diligence in undoing these improper and largely indefensible rollbacks. —mjb (talk) 15:42, 23 November 2012 (UTC)

i agree that house is not freestyle's polar opposite. in fact, they are more like brother and sister. and i would argue that they come from essentially the SAME roots. both were influenced by electro (or "electro funk") and synth pop as well as by disco and other genres. it's the way the ingredients are mixed that makes the difference. house has more of a disco influence than does freestyle, and this sets it apart. freestyle has more respect for conventional pop songform than does house, and of course there is the "latin" element in latin freestyle which really doesn't have a counterpart in house music. it's amusing reading the stuff about how house was freestyle's nemesis and how house "overtook" freestyle. i would see them as catering to two different though somewhat overlapping audiences (while influencing each other, at least to a samll extent). house may have triumphed over freestyle for a short while, yet both genres are now minor blips on the musical scene, both part of nostalgic "retro" or "old skool" culture.75.68.9.233 (talk) 03:15, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

regarding the rewrite of the paragraph @ line 92
Nicely written, but maybe without all the unnecessary details? I see that Mike Cornette and Steve Sylvester (who, outside of the NYC area would know who they are?) and others are mentioned and a specific date at the Coda in 2004. It appears as a little self promotion (pat on the back). I feel this is unnecessary for a Wikipedia article. DJghr1 (talk) 2 Aug 2011 (UTC)

compressing and chopping this article?
This article is in serious need of being compressed. It really doesn't need so many sub-categories (such as Toronto Freestyle, for instance) and is far too long and boring. The basics and beginnings and how it ended, and that's it..wham, bam, chop chop. There's far too many names and unknowns written in the article, and so much unnecessary garbage. No wonder it has a "start class" rating. I may consider re-writing but if someone who feels they can rewrite it from a neutral point of view wants to tackle it, feel free! Don't forget to keep the sources and citations! DJghr1 (talk) 8 Aug 2011 (UTC)


 * Heh, part of the problem is that even the few sources here aren't necessarily good ones. When the copy edit's complete, the article will be much more readable, and is likely to be shorter. I won't necessarily remove a lot of information here, even though hardly any of it is sourced, but there are a lot of POV and peacock statements that need to go. I don't necessarily agree that the subcategories are bad, but there's a definite need for more references. When an article's thoroughly referenced, it not only weeds out the opinions and incorrect hearsay statements, it tends to direct the article toward the important instead of the trivial things. Dementia13 (talk) 01:01, 7 September 2012 (UTC)


 * OK, here's a suggestion: all those subsections talk about regional scenes. Few of the artists listed had any impact outside of their own region. If there are sources available to support that information, those sections could be rolled off into an article on freestyle regional scenes. If sources are not available, then there's a problem with notability, and the sections should be deleted. Dementia13 (talk) 01:34, 7 September 2012 (UTC)

AOL Radio
The article should mention that this music can be listened to on AOL Radio's "80s Dance" station.(I smoke hashish (talk) 02:25, 27 December 2011 (UTC))

Copy Edit comments
I'm doing a copy edit on this article, and when I see issues that are outside of what the copy edit does, things that usually get taken care of by an article's main editor, I point them out on the talk page.
 * Origins: ...it was a fusion of synthetic instrumentation and syncopated percussion of the 1980s electro... "fusion" means a combination of at least two things. Combination of electro and what? "synthetic instrumentation" is not a kind of music, it's an element that's used in a lot of kinds of music. It seems like there's some information missing. Then:
 * ...It was also influenced by sampling, as found in hip hop music. This needs a reference to be cleared up. First, sampling is a technique that would be used in the music, it's not a style of music that could be an "influence" on something. I could change that wording, but the second thing is that samplers weren't yet common in 1983, so I suspect that's a factual error. More likely, sampling was incorporated during a later period, sometime after 1984. Dementia13 (talk) 02:31, 6 September 2012 (UTC)
 * OK, I get it, the heading lies. It says "1980-1983", but the section keeps on going into the 1990s. That helps the second sentence, but the first is still a problem. Dementia13 (talk) 02:35, 6 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Early 1990s: I had to trim this sentence: Cross-over influences became increasingly evident when The Latin Rascals produced a remix of Duran Duran's "Notorious" and The Pet Shop Boys' hit smash, "Domino Dancing" produced by Lewis A. Martinee, who produced many of Expose's hits. When there's so much information run together, it becomes confusing. This looks like the Latin Rascals remixed two songs, but then it goes on to give different producer information for the second one. I cut the part about the Pet Shop Boys song, because it doesn't make sense. If you add that back, please make it clear, and don't try to jam more stuff into a single sentence than will fit. Dementia13 (talk) 00:11, 7 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Aftermath: Jordin Sparks' 2009 single "S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)" can be considered part of the freestyle genre due to its use of a sample from the song, "Let The Music Play", by Shannon.
 * Three problems here. First, there's a reference, but it doesn't support the entirety of that statement, all it says is that the sample is used. The reference doesn't support the statement, and it's not what would be considered a reliable reference, either. Now, a sample could be just a single drum hit, so it's not necessarily true that if a song samples a freestyle song, the new song is freestyle. It might be, but you need to come up with a reference that is from a reliable source, and specifically backs up your claim. Dementia13 (talk) 00:50, 7 September 2012 (UTC)


 * Aftermath:  the single, "What I'm Feeling", which with 63 plays was the most played single in a single day on WKTU. This needs a reliable citation. Wikipedia has a policy of "notability", which says that if an event was not reported by reliable third-party sources, it didn't draw enough attention to be included here. This statement implies that 63 plays in a single day is evidence of freestyle's popularity, but there are other reasons why that could happen, so that needs backed up by a citation. If there are none, it has to be deleted. Dementia13 (talk) 17:50, 11 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Aftermath: The Black Eyed Peas often use freestyle lyrics, There's a section here about characteristics of freestyle music, but is there really such a thing as "freestyle lyrics"? If there's a defining characteristic of freestyle lyrics, that should be in the article. Otherwise, this is just some fluff. Bullfluff. Dementia13 (talk) 18:13, 11 September 2012 (UTC)
 * California: Jaya was one of the first Filipina-American freestyle singers, I can't name any Filipina-American singers other than those I learned about editing this article. She might not just be the first Filipina-American freestyle singer, she might be the first Filipina-American with a hit record. That would be worth looking into. Dementia13 (talk) 22:01, 11 September 2012 (UTC)
 * New York/Miami: Think about this: freestyle mainly developed in these two cities, so the early development of freestyle in these two cities is the origin of freestyle itself. Material in these sections that discusses the music's early history should be moved into the part of the main article that talks about its origins. Especially since you've got the "Origins 1981-1983" section that goes on to 1990. The parts about freestyle's early development should be moved out of these sections and into the "Origins" section, which should live up to its name and cover only until 1983, then a new section after "Origins" should cover the music's era of peak popularity. Dementia13 (talk) 23:36, 11 September 2012 (UTC)
 * Miami: At the end of the section, the topic suddenly shifts to New York.

Latin Emphasis marginalizes African American core
Shannon was not Latin was she? Sure the music was predominately Latin but that lead totally excludes African Americans, goes so far to include Italians. Sure Lisa Lisa was Latin but was everyone on the Freestyle scene Latin? The group behind Lisa Lisa was who, not Full Force (where they Latin)? So this Latin exclusivity thing is not a NPOV. --Inayity (talk) 17:12, 25 January 2013 (UTC)

holyoke/chicopee/springfield scene?
it might be worthwhile including a holyoke/chicopee/springfield section to the freestyle article. it seems that a disproportionate number of active freestyle artists have ties to the "pioneer valley" area (freeze, pose, phillip anthony, etc.). or perhaps there should be a "western massachusetts/connecticut" section. several prominent freestyle artists come from connecticut (including jennifer jimenez, I THink). jose (cpr) ortiz hosts a freestyle countdown show on springfield technical community college radio. it is supposed to be a "national" countdown ("the only countdown that matters"). but it seems that an unusual number of artists on the "chart" come from the springfield area or from connecticut. perhaps this isn't merely a result of "local" bias. this may be where the freestyle scene (or at least a substantial part of it) has shifted.

Freestyle, or Latin freestyle (initially called Latin hip hop) is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Philadelphia, and Miami, primarily among Hispanic Americans, Irish Americans, and Italian Americans in the 1980s. It experienced its greatest popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. A common theme of freestyle lyricism originated as heartbreak in an urban environment typified by New York City.

List of freestyle artists
Anyone think there should be a list of freestyle artists in the article or as a separate Wikipedia article? There are many notable freestyle artists not mentioned in the article which is understandable since it would clutter the article, but if I want to find a freestyle artist and their song quickly which is what a lot of people may be looking for then there should be a list of them. Some artists that were not mentioned in the article were Nocera, Dino, Sweet Sensations, Seduction, Angelina, Buffy, Nyasia, Giggles, Cynthia, Johnny O, Regina, and many more.Aamma58 (talk) 13:29, 25 June 2020 (UTC)Aamma58

Boston scenes/Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield-Westfield Scenes
New Kids on the Block, Bobby Brown, Planet Patrol, Willie Valentin, Jose "CPR" Ortiz, Freeze

Wiki Education assignment: Digital Cultures
— Assignment last updated by RoccNRoll (talk) 00:39, 15 March 2024 (UTC)

Freestyle music
Freestyle, or Latin freestyle (initially called Latin hip hop) is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Philadelphia, and Miami, primarily among Hispanic Americans, Irish Americans, and Italian Americans in the 1980s. It experienced its greatest popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. A common theme of freestyle lyricism originated as heartbreak in an urban environment typified by New York City. 24.46.160.77 (talk) 04:16, 1 March 2024 (UTC)

Freestyle music
Freestyle, or Latin freestyle (initially called Latin hip hop) is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Philadelphia, and Miami, primarily among Hispanic Americans, Irish Americans, and Italian Americans in the 1980s. It experienced its greatest popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. A common theme of freestyle lyricism originated as heartbreak in an urban environment typified by New York City. 24.46.162.215 (talk) 18:00, 15 May 2024 (UTC)